BACOLOD CITY – The anticipated return of Lights of Bago in Bago City, Negros Occidental on New Year’s Day was cancelled due to restive Kanlaon Volcano.
The city government, in a Facebook post, said that they regretfully cancel the grandest musical fireworks show to ensure the safety of the general public.
City Senior Tourism Operations Officer Mae Ann Furtos said that the 20-minute fireworks display with the theme “Lights of Bago: Rebirth of Light” symbolizes a bridge between generations, honoring the legacy of the past while igniting the imaginations of the future.
It features timeless hits from past LOB festivals, evoking cherished memories of bygone celebrations, while seamlessly blending contemporary mash-ups that capture the spirit of renewal, she added.
The city held its last physical LOB in 2020 during its 12th year. The 26-minute musical fireworks and lights display was witnessed by at least 35,000 spectators from Bago City and Negros Occidental.
With the theme "A Rhapsody of Colors and Diversity," the 2020 edition of the synchronized fireworks display underscored HIV/AIDS awareness and promoted gender equality and diversity.
It was followed by a virtual celebration in 2022, highlighting the best of LOB since it started in 2009.
European Raymond Stoffel, a retired international corporate lawyer from Luxembourg, whose wife has roots in Barangay Poblacion, Bago City, started the staging of the annual event every Jan. 1.
The city government assumed the hosting of the musical fireworks display in its second year onwards when Stoffel had to go back to Europe.
The city is one of the local government units in the province severely affected by the ashfall from the Dec. 9 eruption that displaced thousands of residents.